I typed a long, 3 paragraph post concerning Auhmad Arbery and deleted it. It was a little too emotional. The senseless murder of a black man… in the south. The appearance of a judicial coverup and the subsequent exposing of the murder by a sudden leak of the video recording. The horrifying fact that the murder was actually 3 months old and the worry that had the modern-day lynching hadn’t been recorded, the chance for justice may have never seen the light of day. However, even more frightening was the dialogue. Repeatedly I heard, “Well, that’s the south!” Being a California native, I admittedly am ignorant to southern culture. but I have to ask… WHY?
Racism is real. There is a quote circulating around social media that says, “Racism hasn’t changed, it’s just now being recorded.” While this is a painful reality, it’s also an alarming statement. Imagine a world where these injustices happen, and no one is there to record and submit video to media outlets. Imagine the stillness of a last breath breathed by a victim whose final pleas for mercy would otherwise (without these recordings) go unheard.
Then imagine that that the immediate defense strategy would be to present the character flaws in an effort to shame the victim and then present the “black on black crime” (which can actually be coined crimes of close proximity, that happens amongst all groups). Imagine the arrogance of many assuming that a broken system will cover their indiscretions and protect their prejudices. What do we do? I mean, something must be done… but what?
There is something else that hurts to see: situational activism. At some point, we have to tire of a different black man becoming a hashtag every 6 months. We will need to stop waiting for the hashtag to start protesting and seek ways to get involved 365 days a year, taking a proactive approach within our communities. I’m beginning to ask, “Where are you in between protests?” as a response to those suffering from “Sudden Outrage”. Yes, the system is broken, but we must do better…. our youth need us to do more. They need us to present solutions, they need us to change the narrative.
There are so many things we can do to empower and equip our young men, and while a protest can show outrage, mentorship has proven to provide out young men with a sense of purpose and beyond. Remember, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” #bethesolution
Sincerely,
Fed up with Hashtags.